Monday Morning Quarterback: Sitrin Stars Basketball

From practices to regional competitions the Sitrin Stars Basketball team battles other top wheelchair athletes. And once a year they challenge a celebrity team to a friendly game of basketball. Director of the Sitrin Stars Marc DePerno says, "This event is really the pinnacle of our year. It offers the community a chance to see what people of all abilities can accomplish whether it's in wheelchair basketball or in life, you can do anything you want if you just put your mind to it." 3^rd year Sitrin Star Michael Olsen added, "Just to get the awareness out and just show the public what your capabilities are and it's not the end of the world if you do get injured and just go out and have a good time."

            Some of the stars say the best part about the event is all the people that come out to watch and play. 7^th year player Hermin Garic says, "Just getting all the people excited playing wheelchair basketball with everyone you know. Getting all the celebrities and our local celebrities of course getting them all down seeing what we can do and seeing how tough it is playing in a chair."

                        The event isn't just about showcasing the star's skills, it also raises awareness and money to benefit the adaptive sports program. DePerno added, "This community awareness and this type of event means the world to our athletes, our Sitrin Stars, because they too can accomplish great things but many people don't realize that. Come out here and see the game and now they can say my goodness." 10^TH year player Kevin Burnside says, "This is the perfect event to raise awareness, especially with for people with disabilities because they can come out and see us play and maybe they will come out on Monday nights and practice with us."